More dog owners get pulled into skijoring

1:48 AM,
Feb. 7, 2013

Written by

Carolyn Tiry
For Wisconsinoutdoorfun.com

When a dog pulls Melissa Omernick, it isn't on a leash and it isn't during a regular walk - her dogs pull her over snow as she wears skis and holds poles.

It's in service of a winter sport called skijoring, pronounced with a hard "j" - the name comes from the Norwegian word skikj°ring, which means "ski driving."

The sport, commonly done with dogs, though people skijor with horses or vehicles, has become popular enough to hold national and world championships, and skijor races are popping up in conjunction with the American Birkebeiner, one of the best-known cross-country ski races in the country. ...